Ultima IX Nitpicks - Terfin
Here you’ll find inaccuracies on Terfin in Ultima IX. Ignorance of predecessors Guardian vs. Armageddon In Ultima VII, the Guardian was able to save his servant Batlin from the Armageddon spell. In Ultima IX, he is helpless at the spell’s mercy. Barrier of Life Where does the “Barrier of Life” comes from? Some background information sure would have been nice. After all, in Ultima VI, the Armageddon spell wasn’t just introduced and taken for granted without an explanation, was it? Surprisingly fragile blackrock At the end of the game, when the Guardian enters the stage, the “Black Gate” crumbles. Why? Is it a result of the Barrier of Life spell? Wasn’t blackrock a powerful material capable of enduring even the most powerful spells? Previously, Rudyom’s wand and the Horn of Praecor Loth were the only artifacts that enabled you to destroy blackrock. The incredible shrinking Guardian Why is the Guardian suddenly so small? When he attempted to walk through the Black Gate in Ultima VII, you saw that he had quite some trouble because of his size. If he can change his size at will, then two questions arise: Why didn't make himself smaller back then, and why doesn’t he make himself larger now at the final showdown against the Avatar? Technical shortcomings Terfin transformed In the intro, Terfin looks a bit different compared to the game, doesn’t it? Note the docks, which are not there in the intro, and the missing mountains around the keep in the game. You’ll also notice that the fires are outside of the keep in the game, but not in the intro. Missing hill In the introduction, the Avatar stands on a small hill and stares down at the Guardian’s fortress. Where is that hill? When you sail there in the game, you don’t find anything but the open sea at the same location. Blackrock In Ultima VII, Underworld II, and Serpent Isle, Blackrock is solid black. At the end of Black Gate, the Black Gate is completely black, as is the Blackrock Gem that surrounds LB’s Castle, as is the Great Earth Serpent’s statue at the end of Serpent Isle. Why then is the Guardian’s Black Gate (supposedly composed of Blackrock) infused with red veins? Selective destruction When the Avatar unleashes Armageddon, the spell dismantles mirror and throne. Oddly enough, the throne’s socket and the pillars (not those for the seals, but the construction that the room is standing on) inside of the barrier remain untouched. Missing barrier Where is the barrier of life in the end video? In any case, you could not see it, although it’s clearly visible in the game. Crumbling columns After one column has been destroyed from closeup view, you see, from another viewpoint, how two other columns are hit. This scene deserves detailed explanation: The columns are on the same landmass, but only two columns are located on the same landmass in the game - the Despise and Destard columns. The viewpoint has to be directed to southeast, due to the form of the coast and the direction from where the wave comes from. And here, a couple of problems arise: Judging from the columns’ size and the fact they are pretty close to each other, Britannia seems to shrink even in the videos. Pillars In the intro video, you see two rows of small pillars in the Guardian’s front court, at least ten of them altogether. In the game and on the Goblin, there aren't nearly as many. General problems Nonchalant Raven On Terfin, when the Avatar tells Raven that Skara Brae has just been completely destroyed, she just changes the topic of the conversation. Does the complete destruction of a big town not bother her? Guardian's arrival How did the Guardian get to Britannia? Did he possibly use that Black Gate? Who built it, when, why and how? There was that issue with the Astronomical Alignment, wasn’t there? Gargoyles on Terfin Why are there so many Gargoyles on Terfin? Back entrance At the end, Raven gives the Avatar the good hint to use the “back entrance” of Terfin. Is this really a good hint? On his way into the inner sanctum of the keep, the Avatar must get past countless traps, monsters, and other obstacles. How does Raven know so much about the Guardian’s keep, anyway? Easily exploited weakness In the Guardian’s throne room, there are eight small pillars. At the end of the game, the Avatar places one of the eight sigils of Virtue on each of them. Why are the pillars there? Is their only purpose to dispatch the Guardian? If that’s true, then why has the Guardian not destroyed them long since? External Links * Hacki's Ultima Nitpicks - hosted by Bootstrike Category:Ultima IX Nitpicks